When Raskolnikov recovers consciousness, Pulcheria
Alexandrovna offers to look after him that night. Raskolnikov
refuses her offers and tells his mother and sister to go away. He
tells Dounia that he does not want her to marry Luzhin. He asks
her to choose between himself and Luzhin. His mother and sister
are extremely worried on observing Raskolnikov's strange
behavior.

Razumihin grabs hold of the two ladies and leads them out of the room.
He explains to them that Raskolnikov is not in the best of mental health.
As he accompanies them on their trip to their lodgings, Razumihin is so
enamored by Dounia's beauty that, at one point, he falls down on his knees
and kisses her hand. He warns them that Luzhin is not a good man. Razumihin
brings Zossimov to meet Dounia and Pulcheria Alexandrovna. Zossimov tells
them that Raskolnikov's illness is due to a psychological condition, which
he says is a product of "moral and material influences" and
of "anxieties, apprehensions, worries, certain ideas." Pulcheria
Alexandrovna notes that Razumihin is "a competent and devoted young
man."

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Notes

Raskolnikov shuns his mother and sister not only because of his
illness, but also because he is ashamed of himself and suffers from
a sense of guilt. Besides, he is opposed to the idea of Dounia
marrying Luzhin. He believes that Dounia wishes to marry Luzhin
only because Luzhin can help him to complete his studies and get a
job. Raskolnikov's pride and sense of independence do not allow
him to tolerate such an arrangement. His bluntness offends Dounia.

Razumihin once again comes to the rescue. He accompanies the
ladies to their rooms. His frankness and open-heartedness are all
the more evident as he has had a little too much to drink. He has
fallen madly in love with Dounia and will now be completely
devoted to Dounia and her loved ones. Through Zossimov's
diagnosis of Raskolnikov's illness, Dostoevsky displays his
understanding of modern psychology.